ABSTRACT

Dance as a non material culture can only be perceived and appreciated via the auditor) and sight sense organs. This fact can be said to have reduced the chances of preserving and documenting Akoto dance, as the initiators and pioneers of the dance were non literates. This poses a problem to the later performers of the dance as they are ignorant of the origin of the dance as well as its true functions. Some researchers claim that Akoto dance is a sugar cane occupational dance, while some insist that it is a mere entertainment dance that starts slowly towards a crescendo . In the course of this research, we shall attempt to establish the history of the Egun people; who own Akoto dance, trace how Akoto dance emerged, unearth the traditional music ensemble and theatrical embellishments as used in performance of the dance. This research work is basically to project a deeper understanding of the relevance, functions and aesthetics of Akoto dance through the elements of culture, tradition. transformation and social justice. The work also examines the origins and significance of the dance within the Egun worldview . For data collation therefore, this research employs the use of observation by participation method, interviews with some custodians of the Egun culture, a wide consultation of variety of relevant published and unpublished books, journals, articles and theses. This study finds that the Akoto dance is a vital component of the history and culture of the Egun people. Our findings also reveal that Akoto dance performs multiple functions in the Egun worldview.